Unsung Class of 2008

Area nurse volunteers for duty in Iraq

July 21, 2008

Editor's note: The Journal's annual Unsung Heroes feature, which runs each Monday from Memorial Day to Veterans Day, profiles U.S. veterans who served in wars and conflicts from World War II to the present.

MARTINSBURG - At just 5 feet tall, Lt. Col. Gretchen Burks has redefined an American cliche-good things really do come in small packages.

She's a mother, a sister, a daughter and a grandmother, and those closest to her know her as their hero.

"She's doing what she likes and that's giving back. She has this need to give back and I'm proud of her for that," Burks' sister Cynthia Burks said. "I'm not surprised that she is where she is today."

Gretchen Burks has been a member of the West Virginia Air National Guard's 167th Medical Group for 27 years. Right now she is serving as the chief nurse at an Air Force theater hospital in Iraq. She has logged more than 60 days of duty since she left on May 8, and she is due to return home in September.

Gretchen Burks voluntarily threw her name in the hat on Oct. 1, 2007, for those interested in deploying, along with about 15 others from her medical group at the 167th.

"She didn't want to be a nurse sitting at a desk. She wanted hands-on (experience), and she felt our nation's veterans needed (that)," Cynthia Burks said.

Gretchen Burks and her fellow military personnel at the 167th weren't able to go as a group. Burks was the only member of her unit selected to serve at the Air Force theater hospital, while others went to the Baghdad region or left their names in for future deployments.

In an e-mail, she said she is committed to her service.

"I have always believed that the Iraqi people deserved health care. This conflict/war has lasted a long time and probably will continue for a few years to come. We can help this proud culture get back their health care system and that is very important to me. We are here for the right reason," Burks said. "I am a part of a new beginning."

During her 12- to 14-hour work days, Burks uses her 35 years of nursing experience and expertise to care for patients, both soldiers and civilians. She also takes care of the administrative functions for her unit.

"The beauty of the military is that my hands are always on the pulse of my soldiers and my patients," she said. "Just think of going somewhere that no one knows you or your style and being able to mold together a group of people with different backgrounds and skill sets into an effective team that understands the mission and purpose for our deployment."

This is Burks' first deployment overseas, but she has been called on to serve twice before - once during Desert Storm, and again in 2003. Annual training has taken her everywhere from Korea to Germany and England to Honduras, she said.

And her qualifications match her abilities.

Gretchen Burks grew up in Martinsburg, and she graduated from Shenandoah College, now Shenandoah University, in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. She returned to Shenandoah and earned her master's degree in 2001. Now she is getting ready to start her final year at George Mason University for her Ph.D. in nursing/education, she said.

Cynthia Burks said her sister wanted to be involved with medicine from childhood, and learning always came easily to her.

"We always said she was my mom's bright light," Cynthia Burks said.

When she's not serving overseas, Gretchen Burks works as a registered nurse in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Leesburg, Va. She also works as an adjunct clinical faculty member at Shenandoah University in Winchester.

She shares her Martinsburg home with her 80-year-old mother, and Burks' military service runs in the family. Her son Kristain is a technical sergeant in the 167th Airlift Wing and works as a police officer at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

"My mom has to be the hardest working person I've ever met as far as the dedication to her job," Kristain Burks said. "Except for me and her grandkids, it's pretty much second to none."

He has two children, Sinclayre, 12, and Trevin, 10.

"I actually don't miss anything except my family and friends," Gretchen Burks said about being overseas. "My grandchildren are the best and I love them very much."

Although it's hard for any family to cope with a loved one in harms' way, the Burks family is fairly familiar to the military routine.

Gretchen Burks' father was in the Army Air Corp during World War II, as were his two brothers, she said. Aside from her older brother Robert who passed away, all of her siblings have been involved in military service.

"My role model has always been my sister and my brothers. We all love our parents but we wanted them to be proud," Gretchen Burks said. "My siblings are all college graduates and we work hard because, when we were young, our parents told us we could be anything we wanted if we worked for it."

Cynthia Burks said the distance has ironically brought her and her sister closer together. They have started saying,"I love you," to each other.

"Circumstances will make people understand that in a minute, it could be the last minute," Cynthia Burks said through teary eyes.

She also said her sister has always been the adventurous one of the family.

"To go over there in a country that's in turmoil is surprising to most people that we know, because they don't know that side of her," Cynthia Burks said, adding that her sister also likes to ski, go camping and read as much as possible.

Although she hasn't received any awards yet, Gretchen Burks said she will be awarded the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon and the Iraq Freedom Medal. She will also be eligible for an accommodation medal or higher.

The first thing she hopes to do once she gets home will be to hug her family and friends, and then she wants to take a drive.

"Not driving has driven me crazy," she said, but she knows it is a small price to pay for being given the opportunity to serve.

"I love my job and I am good at it. I don't mean to sound arrogant, but you have to keep a perspective or you will get lost," she said. "As a leader, I need to be there and my folks expect that. That is the promise I made to them."